25/10/2015 17:30
Kosovo’s Drenica R & Rukolli SKENDERAJ write history in opening round of CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup
2016 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup - Men
Luxembourg, October 25, 2015. The 2016 edition of the European Cups got started on Saturday and Sunday with two historic matches in Prishtina where Drenica R & Rukolli SKENDERAJ opened their campaign in the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup – Men with two straight-set victories over Northern Ireland’s BALLYMONEY Blaze. The matches played at the local Sports Palace in Prishtina were the first ever contested by a Kosovar team in the European Cups.
Following provisional recognition granted earlier this year by the FIVB Board of Administration to the Volleyball Federation of Kosovo, Kosovar teams were given the possibility to enter the European Cups for the first time in history. The women of KV SKENDERAJ will make their debut in the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup on November 18 once they play Israel’s Hapoel KFAR SABA for the second round of the competition.
After the teams had agreed to play both of their matches in Prishtina, the first was held on Saturday afternoon and the visitors of BALLYMONEY Blaze as well as the home heroes of SKENDERAJ were welcomed with a big applause by the 500 fans in attendance. The hosts started the match playing with high intensity and eventually claimed the first round of their tie with Northern Ireland’s vice champions in three straight sets (25-13, 25-12, 25-16).
The ambiance was just great also for the second match played on Sunday where 1,500 supporters witnessed another straight-set victory (25-17, 25-20, 25-17) for the players of Drenica R & Rukolli SKENDERAJ.
These historic matches were broadcast live by the Radio Television of Kosovo. After qualifying for the second round of the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup, Drenica R & Rukolli SKENDERAJ will now continue their historic European campaign playing Pokka A.E. KARAVA of Cyprus in the next stage of the competition.
The matches contested on Saturday and Sunday in Prishtina were historic in many ways and this partly applies also to Northern Ireland’s BALLYMONEY Blaze as Ulster’s vice champions and cup winners are the first team from this ‘home nation’ to perform in the European Cups since the University of ULSTER participated in the 2007-2008 edition of the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup.
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